2002 Minnesota Statutes

     122A.63 Grants to prepare Indian teachers. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  A grant program is 
 established to assist American Indian people to become teachers 
 and to provide additional education for American Indian 
 teachers.  The commissioner may award a joint grant to each of 
 the following:  

    (1) the Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota and 
 independent school district No. 709, Duluth; 

    (2) Bemidji state university and independent school 
 district No. 38, Red Lake; 

    (3) Moorhead state university and one of the school 
 districts located within the White Earth reservation; and 

    (4) Augsburg college, independent school district No. 625, 
 St. Paul, and special school district No. 1, Minneapolis. 

    Subd. 2.    Application.  To obtain a joint grant, a 
 joint application must be submitted to the commissioner of 
 children, families, and learning.  The application must be 
 developed with the participation of the parent advisory 
 committee, established according to section 124D.78, and the 
 Indian advisory committee at the post-secondary institution.  
 The joint application shall set forth: 

    (1) the in-kind, coordination, and mentorship services to 
 be provided by the post-secondary institution; and 

    (2) the coordination and mentorship services to be provided 
 by the school district. 

    Subd. 3.    Review and comment.  The commissioner must 
 submit the joint application to the Minnesota Indian scholarship 
 committee for review and comment. 

    Subd. 4.    Grant amount.  The commissioner may award a 
 joint grant in the amount it determines to be appropriate.  The 
 grant shall include money for the post-secondary institution, 
 school district, student scholarships, and student loans. 

    Subd. 5.    Information to student applicants.  At the 
 time a student applies for a scholarship and loan, the student 
 shall be provided information about the fields of licensure 
 needed by school districts in the part of the state within which 
 the district receiving the joint grant is located.  The 
 information shall be acquired and periodically updated by the 
 recipients of the joint grant.  Information provided to students 
 shall clearly state that scholarship and loan decisions are not 
 based upon the field of licensure selected by the student. 

    Subd. 6.    Eligibility for scholarships and loans.  The 
 following Indian people are eligible for scholarships: 

    (1) a student, including a teacher aide employed by a 
 district receiving a joint grant, who intends to become a 
 teacher and who is enrolled in a post-secondary institution 
 receiving a joint grant; 

    (2) a licensed employee of a district receiving a joint 
 grant, who is enrolled in a master of education program; and 

    (3) a student who, after applying for federal and state 
 financial aid and an Indian scholarship according to section 
 124D.84, has financial needs that remain unmet.  Financial need 
 shall be determined according to the congressional methodology 
 for needs determination or as otherwise set in federal law. 

    A person who has actual living expenses in addition to 
 those addressed by the congressional methodology for needs 
 determination, or as otherwise set in federal law, may receive a 
 loan according to criteria established by the commissioner.  A 
 contract shall be executed between the state and the student for 
 the amount and terms of the loan. 

    Subd. 7.    Loan forgiveness.  The loan may be forgiven 
 if the recipient is employed as a teacher, as defined in section 
 122A.40 or 122A.41, in an eligible school or program in 
 Minnesota.  One-fourth of the principal of the outstanding loan 
 amount shall be forgiven for each year of eligible employment, 
 or a pro rata amount for eligible employment during part of a 
 school year, part-time employment as a substitute teacher, or 
 other eligible part-time teaching.  Loans for $2,500 or less may 
 be forgiven at the rate of up to $1,250 per year.  The following 
 schools and programs are eligible for the purposes of loan 
 forgiveness: 

    (1) a school or program operated by a school district; 

    (2) a tribal contract school eligible to receive aid 
 according to section 124D.83; 

    (3) a head start program; 

    (4) an early childhood family education program; 

    (5) a program providing educational services to children 
 who have not entered kindergarten; or 

    (6) a program providing educational enrichment services to 
 American Indian students in grades kindergarten through 12. 

    If a person has an outstanding loan obtained through this 
 program, the duty to make payments of principal and interest may 
 be deferred during any time period the person is enrolled at 
 least one-half time in an advanced degree program in a field 
 that leads to employment by a school district.  To defer loan 
 obligations, the person shall provide written notification to 
 the commissioner of children, families, and learning and the 
 recipients of the joint grant that originally authorized the 
 loan.  Upon approval by the commissioner and the joint grant 
 recipients, payments shall be deferred.  

    The higher education services office shall approve the loan 
 forgiveness program, loan deferral, and procedures to administer 
 the program.  

    Subd. 8.    Revolving fund.  The Indian teacher 
 preparation loan repayment revolving account is established in 
 the state treasury.  Any amounts repaid or contributed by a 
 teacher who received a scholarship or loan under this program 
 shall be deposited in the account.  All money in the account is 
 annually appropriated to the commissioner of children, families, 
 and learning and shall be used to enable Indian students to 
 participate in the program. 

    HIST: 1991 c 265 art 3 s 17; 1992 c 499 art 3 s 11; 1995 c 212 
 art 3 s 59; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 3 s 7,8; 1998 c 397 art 8 s 
 87-89,101; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55